in the event that you'd thought that anything might possibly change

To: employees
From: senior management
Subject: plans
Date: today

As you recently heard. The Decision Makers and Controllers of Things approved recommendations based on the work of Committees. The Decision Makers and Controllers of Things expressed deep appreciation for the high level of thoughtfulness and commitment participants brought to their work, particularly in these difficult economic times. The purpose of this memo is to share with you implementation efforts that are underway.

Since the Decision Makers and Controllers of Things approved the budget, staff have been working closely with a number of leaders, senior officers and department managers to determine how best to implement the recommendations. As we have stressed throughout this process, in addition to improving efficiencies while protecting programs, plans are focused on limiting the number of layoffs that will become effective on a day and providing support for those whose jobs are being eliminated. Specifics include:

· Continued active employment, with all benefits intact, through a date.
· Severance packages, effective that next day, which will provide four weeks of compensation for every year worked, up to 40 weeks;
· Additional compensation to individuals with more than ten years of service;
· Continued contributory coverage of health benefits through the severance period. Once exhausted, continued health care via COBRA;
· Special in-house workshops on job seeking, resume preparation, and interviewing;*
· In-house training programs for basic skills as well as other specialized training programs and workshops focusing on dealing with transitions;
· Counseling and financial planning services through our Assistance Program;
· Outplacement support services ;
· Placement wherever possible in alternative positions [here].


We will soon be posting many new jobs as a consequence of vacancies held over the past year that will now be filled, jobs that will become vacant as a consequence of some of the voluntary retirement program departures, and new positions being created due to organizational changes mandated by the process. We are streamlining the vacancy review process to ensure that jobs are posted as soon as possible; Human Resources will work with applicants and managers to expedite the process and to ensure that appropriate attention is paid to the possibility of internal hires wherever possible.

Over the course of the next few weeks**, we will inform those individuals whose jobs are being eliminated. We will also provide detailed information about severance, possible alternative positions, and transitional services. Our goal is to complete this process as soon as possible but with as much care as needed. In a few departments this implementation process may take somewhat longer. We anticipate that approximately 60 filled positions will be eliminated.

The economic challenges that we are facing are real and require difficult decisions. We hope you will work with us to ensure that those affected by these changes will successfully make the transition to alternative employment.